Beautifully Fractured
By Michele Lenard
Front Range University, Book 1
Cruz
Starting over is not what I had planned.
Those stories about magically becoming best friends with the person assigned to live with you… Yeah, that won’t be me. I already have a best friend. Even if I wanted a new one, Liam wouldn’t be it. He’s permanently grouchy, carrying a negative energy I don’t need since I’m finally in a good place. But I’ve never been good at ignoring when people need help, so I paste on a smile and play nice.
Predictably, Liam isn’t much of a talker, but after an unexpected accident he needs my help in other ways. Ways that offer me answers about myself. Ways that raise new questions about the football dreams I’ve been chasing since I was a kid. Ways that make me relive the past I want to ignore.
To say I’m confused is an understatement, but there’s one thing I know for certain…Liam is either the key to one door or the bolt that could prevent another from ever opening. And I have to choose which I want him to be.
Liam
Starting over is exactly what I need.
I can’t get any more invisible than I’ve been for the past few years, and I figure rooming with another person means at least one human on the planet can’t ignore me. Unfortunately, that human is Adonis personified, and not gay, so it’s looking like my invisibility streak might continue.
Then I suffer a minor accident, and Cruz’s hero complex comes out in full force.
I should be grateful to have someone to open my door and carry my books, but when you pair his selfless personality with that body… My mind starts to blur the roommate line, which makes his blur the line of not being gay.
My heart is already battered, and I doubt it can take rejection from the one person who broke down all the walls I’d built around it. That doesn’t mean I won’t try to give it to him anyway.
**Beautifully Fractured is a high-heat MM romance with medium angst that features a grumpy/sunshine relationship, forced proximity, hurt/comfort situations and a bi-awakening. This is book one in a series of interconnected standalones. Though the main characters are athletes, this is not a sports romance. Rather, it's a romance that happens to feature people who play sports.
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Excerpt
“So, now that we’re friends.” Cruz’s voice halts my internal rambling, and I try not to choke on my own breath as he steps back into our room wearing only a towel that does very little to hide the delicious little ‘V’ I suspected he’d have at the base of his torso. “Got any thoughts about what to do with this room?”
I swallow back the saliva pooling in my mouth as he pulls on a pair of boxers–before letting the towel drop to the floor thank God. “What do you mean?”
His head swivels around, taking in the space. “It’s kind of depressing, don’t you think?”
“It’s a dorm.”
“We might need to work on your vocabulary, Sunshine.” He tugs on a pair of sweats that do nothing to hide how round his ass is. “This place isn’t just a plain dorm room, it resembles a prison cell. Where’s the personalization?”
I force myself to look at his face. “Just because we’ve called a truce doesn’t mean you get to give me a nickname.”
“An ironic nickname.” He smiles proudly, like we’re already on our way to being best buddies, and I can’t decide if that makes me want to roll my eyes or smile back.
He’s just so…eager.
Rolling my eyes wins out, though I take my own tour of the bare white walls, plain tile floor, and worn wood furniture. “What did you have in mind?”
Carra's Review
If you’re looking for solid asexual representation and wonderful characters, this story is going to be a perfect fit, particularly if you enjoy a new adult/college setting. I adored Cruz, he’s a wonderful blend of oblivious, sweet, protective, and intelligent. While every character always has their own journey, this is definitely focused on Cruz and the self-discovery he undergoes the closer he and Liam become.
I liked how patient and kind Liam was with Cruz, he really was a great match for him. Both Liam and Cruz each have their own personal issues to deal with, which does mean you’ll find a medium amount of angst here. I loved though how Cruz dealt with his issues related to his best friend, and Liam’s sensitive responses to the situation. On the flip side, Cruz was a great support to Liam with his family issues. They complemented each other perfectly.
You’ll also find some great supporting characters, in particular Jagger and Cameron, best friends who are on the football team with Cruz. Like I’m sure many other readers will be, I’ll be eagerly awaiting their stories (story? Yes, please!). They turn out to be fantastic friends to both Cruz and Liam, and Cruz’s family was wonderful with Liam.
Beautifully Fractured was a 4.5-star read for me, and I am looking forward to more in this series. I’d definitely recommend this to any M/M romance fan, especially if you are looking for a story with an amazing character on the asexual/demisexual spectrum. This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Beautifully Fractured, Michele is giving away a paperback copy of the release!
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